Arianespace, the French multinational company that provides commercial launch services for satellites, has been chosen by Swiss company ClearSpace SA to launch its inaugural space debris elimination mission. The mission, called ClearSpace-1, aims to remove a piece of space debris from orbit around the Earth.
Space debris, also known as space junk, refers to the man-made objects that are left in space after a satellite or spacecraft has completed its mission. These objects can range from small fragments to large pieces of equipment and can pose a significant threat to other satellites and spacecraft in orbit.
ClearSpace-1 is a pioneering mission that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of removing space debris from orbit. The mission will target a piece of debris known as Vespa, which was left in orbit by the European Space Agency’s Vega launcher in 2013.
The ClearSpace-1 spacecraft will be launched on an Arianespace Vega rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana in 2025. The spacecraft will use a robotic arm to capture the Vespa debris and then deorbit it, causing it to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The mission is being led by ClearSpace SA, a spin-off company from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. The company was founded in 2018 with the aim of developing technologies for space debris removal.
The selection of Arianespace as the launch provider for ClearSpace-1 is a significant milestone for the company. Arianespace has a long history of launching satellites and spacecraft for commercial and government customers, and its Vega rocket has a proven track record of reliability.
The partnership between ClearSpace SA and Arianespace highlights the growing importance of space debris removal as a key area of focus for the space industry. With more and more satellites being launched into orbit every year, the risk of collisions and the creation of more debris is increasing.
ClearSpace-1 is just the beginning of what could be a new era of space debris removal missions. As more companies and organizations develop technologies for removing debris from orbit, we could see a significant reduction in the amount of space junk that poses a threat to our satellites and spacecraft.
In conclusion, the selection of Arianespace as the launch provider for ClearSpace-1 is a significant step forward for the space industry’s efforts to remove space debris from orbit. The mission will demonstrate the feasibility of using robotic technology to capture and deorbit debris, paving the way for future missions to clean up our skies.
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- Source: https://zephyrnet.com/swiss-company-selects-arianespace-to-launch-first-space-debris-removal-mission/